I cannot claim to know or understand the provenance of romantic love, but I'm not sure that it is something that needs to be understood, just appreciated and revered.
-From the personal dictionary of
Caroline Ravenscroft
They were married one week later, much to the delight of Penelope, who insisted upon purchasing a trousseau for the bride. Caroline had thought that the two ready-made dresses Blake had purchased for her were a luxury, but nothing could compare to Penelope's idea of a suitable wardrobe. Caroline let her soon-to-be sister choose everything-with one exception. The dressmaker owned a bolt of blue-green silk the exact color of her eyes, and Caroline insisted upon having an evening gown fashioned out of it. She had never given much thought to her eyes before, but after Blake had skimmed his fingers across her eyelids and declared her eyes the exact color of the ocean at the equator ... Well, she really couldn't help becoming a little bit proud of them.
The wedding ceremony was small and private, with only Penelope, James, and Seacrest Manor's servants in attendance. Blake's older brother had wanted to come, but one of his daughters had taken ill, and he didn't want to leave her. Caroline thought that was as it should be and penned him a note expressing her desire to meet him at a more convenient time.
Perriwick gave the bride away. Mrs. Mickle was so jealous she insisted upon playing the part of mother of the bride, even though that role didn't entail her actually taking part in the ceremony.
Penelope was matron of honor, and James was best man, and a lovely time was had by all.
Caroline smiled her way through the next few days. She couldn't ever remember being as happy as she was as Caroline Ravenscroft of Seacrest Manor. She had a husband and a home, and her life was as near to perfect as she could imagine. Blake hadn't professed his love to her, but she supposed that was too much to expect from a man who had until recently been in so much emotional pain.
In the meantime, she would make him as happy as she could, sand let him do the same for her.
Now that Caroline truly belonged to Seacrest Manor and vice versa, she was determined to make her mark on the small estate. She was puttering in the garden when Perriwick approached her. "Mrs. Ravenscroft," he said, "you have a visitor."
"I do?" she asked in surprise. Hardly anyone even knew she was Mrs. Ravenscroft. "Who?"
"A Mr. Oliver Prewitt."
She paled. "Oliver? But why..."
"Do you want me to send him away? Or I could have Mr. Ravenscroft deal with him, if that is preferable."
"No, no," she said quickly. She didn't want her husband seeing Oliver. Blake was likely to lose his temper, and he'd hate himself later for it. She knew how important it was to him to apprehend Oliver and his entire ring of spies. If he blew his cover now, he'd never get the chance.
"I'll see him," she said in a firm voice. She took a deep, cleansing breath and set down her work gloves. Oliver had no power over her now, and she refused to be afraid of him.
Perriwick motioned for her to follow him into the house, and they made their way to the drawing room. As she passed through the doorway, she saw Oliver's back, and her entire body tensed.
She'd almost forgotten how much she hated him.
"What do you want, Oliver?" she said in a flat voice.
He looked up at her, seven different kinds of menace lurking in his eyes. "That isn't a very affectionate greeting for your guardian."
"My former guardian," she corrected.
"A minor technicality," he said with a little wave of his hand.
"Get to the point, Oliver," she ground out.
"Very well." He walked slowly toward her until they were nose to nose. "You owe me," he said in a low voice.
She didn't flinch. "I owe you nothing."
They stood that way, staring each other down, until he broke away and walked to the window. "Quite a nice piece of property you have here."
Caroline suppressed the urge to scream in frustration. "Oliver," she warned, "my patience is wearing thin. If you have something to say to me, say it. Otherwise, get out."
He whirled around. "I ought to kill you," he hissed.
"You could," she said, trying not to show any reaction to his threat, "but you'd go to the gallows, and I don't think you want that."
"You've ruined everything. Everything!"
"If you mean your little plot to make me the next Prewitt," she spat out, "then yes, I have. Shame on you, Oliver."
"I gave you food. I gave you shelter. And you repaid me with the worst sort of betrayal."
"You ordered your son to rape me!"
He advanced, jabbing his stubby finger in her direction. "That wouldn't have been necessary if you'd cooperated. You always knew you were meant to marry Percy."
"I knew no such thing. And Percy didn't want the marriage any more than I did."
"Percy does what I tell him to."
"I know," she said in a disgusted voice.
"Do you have any idea the plans I had for your fortune? I owe money, Caroline. Lots of money."
She blinked in surprise. She had no idea Oliver was in debt. "That's not my problem or my fault. And you certainly lived well enough off my money while I was your ward." .
He let out a bark of angry laughter. "Your money was tied up tighter than a chastity belt. I received a small quarterly allowance to cover your living expenses, but it was nothing more than a pittance."
She stared at him in shock. Oliver had always lived so well. He insisted upon the finest of everything. "Then where did all your money come from?" she asked. "The new candelabra, the fancy carriage... how did you pay for them?"
"That was from-" His lips pressed together in a firm and angry line. "Thaf s none of your business."
Her eyes widened. Oliver had almost admitted to smuggling-she was sure of it. Blake would be very interested.
"The real power was to come when you married Percy," he continued. "Then I would have had control over everything."
She shook her head, stalling for time while she thought of something to say mat might prompt him to incriminate himself. "I would never have done it," she finally blurted out, knowing she had to say something to keep him from growing suspicious. "I would never have married him."
"You would have done what I told you to!" he roared. "If I had gotten to you before that idiot you call your husband, I would have held my boot to the back of your head until you obeyed."
Caroline saw red. It was one thing to threaten her, but no one called her husband an idiot. "If you do not leave this instant, I will have you forcibly removed." She no longer cared if he incriminated himself or not-she just wanted him out of her house..
"I'll have you forcibly removed " he mimicked. His lips spread into a menacing grin. "Surely you can do better than that, Caroline. Or should I say Mrs. Ravenscroft? My, my, how we've come up in the world. The newspaper mentioned that your new husband is the son of Viscount Darnsby."
"There was an announcement in the newspaper?" she whispered in shock. She'd been wondering how Oliver had known where to find her.
"Don't try to act surprised, you little slut. I know you put that announcement there so I would see it. It's not as if you have any friends you'd want to notify."
"But who-" She caught her breath. Penelope. Of course. In her world, marriages were immediately announced in the newspaper. She'd probably forgotten all about the need for secrecy.